In this Together
During the global pandemic, this portrait series on life and connection in isolation proved to be a challenging introspection in a difficult season in my life. At times throughout the project, I felt the images in each project weren't telling enough of the story or lacked creativity. Still, I know that I will look back on these images fondly and with pride for having the resiliency to withstand these times in years to come. I will be glad I documented the real moments. I look at these images as a whole, and I feel moved; the series is a powerful example of just two people and their survival in a world ravaged by the virus and other hardships.
The photographers that inspired this work were Diane Arbus and Lee Friedlander, among others like them. I set out to capture the mundane of everyday life at home, in isolation. There were times of grief and mourning, despair and anxiety, and immense joy and gratitude-filled moments. I found it helpful for the series to have the camera set up and ready to go, making snapping off a few frames in an ordinary moment easier, like the shot in the bathroom. Lighting was a challenge initially, but as I progressed through these three separate projects of this portrait series, I began to feel more confident in the lighting setup.
Overall, I am happy that these projects pushed me to document these parts of life that I think in the moment I was trying to ignore and press on through.
